Lakelords
Focus The Lakelords worship Nenila, goddess of the sea and rivers, and of water. Symbol A triskelion (triple-spiral) Prime Stats EM/IN Skills All Lakelords get the following skills, in lieu of one level’s development Clerics Paladin The Lakelords learn the following skills at 1/ 2: Swim, boat-handling and fishing. Customary Garb The Lakelord clerics wear long blue robes, with green trimmings. They also wear soft leather surcoats emblazoned with the symbol of their religion. Their rank is determined by the colour of their Sarinna, which they wear over their robes. The paladins are similar, though they wear a metal breastplate, aqua-blue in hue, and blue trousers rather than robes; this is not always the case, though, as paladins dress in whatever garb they feel is necessary, and often adorn themselves with their own heraldric devices. Membership Any race of either sex can be a Lakelord, though only those aligned against the Death Queen are accepted. A prospective cleric must have an IN and EM of 65 or over. Paladins need IN/ST of 65. Any Manenili (half-Naiad, half-human) is automatically admitted and often receive a high-rank very early. Clerics and paladins can both be of either sex. Restrictions There are few restrictions on joining the priesthood, so long as the member is a true believer in Nenila. They must also respect nature, especially rivers and lakes. Any body aligned to the Death Queen or her offspring or naturally refused, as are those who are members of House Shinziro. Upon joining the Lakelords, the priests must abandon their previous House, and swear allegiance to Di-Lacu. Benefits The Lakelords are highly respected throughout Pandarat, and most of the Empire, and as such are usually given a warm-welcome everywhere they go. More importantly, they have access to the magical waters of Lake Azuli; as a result, they are almost invariably youthful looking, and enjoy a longer life than most humans. They are highly resistant to most diseases. The clerics have the honour of communicating with Avanador the great Water-Drake, and receive great wisdom and power from him. They are also responsible for the caring of the Great Naiads, and many of the men sire children with them. Structure and Purpose The Clerics of the Lakelords start of as Boatsman, the equivalent of initiate. Their primary task is to serve the higher priests whilst studying the teachings of Nenila. Most act as servants until they are ordained- the most common job is to row and pilot the boats which take the priests to and from the Isle of Drakes Upon being ordained the priest joins the ranks of the Lakeguard, the lowest order of priests. The Lakeguard, between further studies, protect the Lake of Azuli, and care for the Naiads. The Naiads desire anything from fun, to food, to trinkets, to intercourse, and it is the Lakeguards’ jobs to keep them satisfied. Legend states that if the Naiads should leave the waters of Pandarat, the land will be engulfed in fire. The Lakeguard are also responsible for relaying the Naiads’ messages to the high priestsess. The life of a Lakeguard is usually easy, and they spend most of their time swimming in the Lake. They are also responsible for collecting and bottling the waters, for transport or potions, and for making the Azulia, the blue wine which the people of Pandarat are so fond of. Most Lakeguard are prohibited from leaving the lake or the island till they gain the next rank. Many use their magics to adopt forms similar to the Naiads, and swim and live with them for short periods of time. The next rank is that of the Permitted. The Permitted are those priests who are allowed to leave the island; mainly they travel from city to city, spreading the word of Nenila, as well as conducting marriages, funerals, namings, etc. Most end up running a temple in a village or city, often surrounded by paladins. Those Permitted who do not receive their own temple often leave the island on healing missions, carrying many bottles of the famous Azuri Healing Water. Those Permitted who are honoured by the Priestess are often sent on tasks for Avanador, the great Drake. The High priestess, Ramicci Di-Lacu, is in charge of the church. She alone is allowed to communicate with Avanador. Similarly, the Naiads treat her as an equal and name her Lake-Sister. The high priest or priestess is usually known as the Lord or Lady of the Sacred Lake. Rank is distinguished by the colour of the sarinna ''they wear: *'Boatsman': No sarinna *'Lakeguard': translucent Green *'Permitted': translucent Blue *'High Priestess: translucent and shimmering white. The Paladins have a similar structure. The lowest rank are the Templars; these paladins simply defend the temple and the priests, as well as the lake. The have other duties, such as fetching supplies and escorting Permitted on their healing duties. They also work with the Lakeguard, ensuring the defence and happiness of the Naiads. The next rank are the Wanderers; these paladins travel the lands, promoting the word of Nenila. Most do small quests for the priests or the Great Drake, or scour the lands slaying monsters. The paladins aid all those who need it. They also often help the Anno Sila or the Order of Kalina in their missions. Due to the nature of the Wanderers, many are often away for a long time, and most prefer to work alone. The highest ranks are the Lord-Templars; these Paladins are often given land or housing by local leaders, and vow to protect the cities or towns, like the Houseguard. Many are stationed in local temples, helping and protecting the Permitted. There are always a few at the palace, protecting and advising the River-King, and they are often involved in local politics and invited to House-meetings. Most Lord-Templars return to the high Temple regularly to seek orders and offer their aid- most are usually rich and many end their careers assisting the military. When a cleric is unavailable, they are occasionally permitted to carry out marriages and funerals. Like the Clerics, their rank is determined by their sarrina: *'''Templars- Green silk *'Wanderers'- Blue silk *'Lord-Templars'- Red silk To summarise, the duties of the Lakelords are as follows: *To follow the commands of Avanador, steed of Nenila, and to listen to her prophecies. *To care for the Naiads of Lake Azula and to ensure they remain in Pandarat. *To heal the sick, often with their fabled Healing Water. *To be responsible for the religious upkeep of the Pandarati, to spread the word of Nenila, and to conduct marriages, funerals and namings. *To look after the holy rivers and lakes of Panadarat, and all of the lands. The high temple, known as the Hall of Rain, is located on the Isle of Drakes, in the middle of the holy lake, Azuri. The mountain, behind the lake, is home to Avanador, the lake-drake and once-steed of Nenila. Her lair can be entered from a small cave, accessible from the deepest levels of the temple, or via a large cave at the top of the mountain. The Lakelords believe that Avanador was the original steed of Nenila, in the God-Wars of the First Age. It was Avanador who carried the 10 Dara on her back before the founding of Arandor, and led the other Pandarati to the land. Avanador speaks for Nenila, and often foretells events- it is their job to interpret these prophecies. Lake Azuri is one of the three great lakes, believed to have been part of the Great Lake of Pandarat in aeons past, the worldy home of Nenila. The main lake, Lake Nenil, was destroyed with the coming of the Death Queen, and is now a great lake of fire. The priests maintained a second high Temple at Lake Argenti (now Lake Kugul) before the shadow claimed it. The Naiads who dwell within the lake and rivers are Nenila’s children, and have lived in Pandarat well before the Men arrived, even during the time of the Great Lake. The Queen of the Naiads, by tradition, is wedded to the River-King, and the priests ensure that such rituals are conducted correctly. During the time or the Death Queen’s reign, the religion was declare illegal, and the Lakelords were either wiped out, or assimilated into the Lords of Shadowfyre. With the destruction of Lake Nenil, the Pandarati lost all morale and all faith, and surrendered quickly. However, a small group of cultists continued the tradition, hiding deep inside Avanador’s lair, looking after her and awaiting the time of the Dark Queen’s fall, which the drake predicted. The drake eventually slept, awaiting the demise of the Dark One, but the priests continued to care for her. They also maintained ties with the suddenly scarce Naiads, in order to ensure the Queen would marry the River-King when the monarchy was finally installed. Many of the priests interbred with the Naiads, ensuring the Manenili race survived the purging. Although many of these priests were hunted down, few of the Vancu would enter Avanador’s lair; thus the religion survived. With the downfall of Vancumar, the religion revealed itself once again, and hundreds flocked to its temples. The Naiad population began to grow again, and Avanador awoke from her centuries–long sleep. Holy Days Like all Pandarati, the priests celebrate May 21st as Liberation Day, the day when the Death Queen was slain. This holiday is marked annually by great street parties and festivals. The main religious day for the Pandarati is Feb 18th, the Day of the Storm; this is the day when, according to legend, the great Storm began; Nenila, tired of the constant pollution that the Formorians were creating decided to put a stop to it. She unleashed a great storm, which lasted for three months, and completely submerged the lowlands of Pandarat, destroying the Formorian civilization. The storm created the Great Lake, in which she came to dwell with her children. Only later volcanic activity separated the lakes into the small ones which exist today. The day is, again, celebrated with great parties; large effigies of evil-looking Formorians are made out of wood, with stone weights. These are ritually thrown into water-troughs or baths or small lakes. Often, young girls will dress as Nenila, painting their skin blue and wearing little clothing, and try to get as many men as they can to buy them drinks or give them gifts. They usually dance or sing for the public, when sober- when drunk their activities often become more frivolous. The priests, for their part, use this time for initiations, as well as long prayers. They also take gifts to the Naiad Queen, usually in the form of jewellery or food. If it rains on the Day of the Storm, it is considered to bring good luck for a whole year. The final holy day happens very rarely- in fact only once in the memories of the Pandarat. Once, shortly before the coming of the Death-Queen, Avanador disappeared for six months. There was a general mourning and omens were cast; but Avanador returned, and laid three eggs. On the day that these eggs hatched, the King declared a national holiday, and every single citizen received a silver piece from his coffers. The Priests considered it the most blessed of days. The young drakes eventually flew away, and nobody is sure where, but the Pandarati look forward to another Hatching-Day, whenver it may occur. Spell Lists The Lakelord Clerics have access to the following lists: *Elemental Forms: Water *Elemental Ways: Water *Elemental Channeling: Water *4 Cleric Lists The Paladins have the following: *Water Ways (magician base-list) *Elemental Channeling: Water *5 Paladin Lists Absolution The victim is engulfed in the Water of Nenila. They suddenly imagine themselves drowning and suffocating. Victim will pass out and be in a coma for 1d20 days. When they awaken, their soul will have been thoroughly cleansed, and they will be incapable of any act which the Lakelords consider evil (Must make a RR vs. level of spell to do an evil deed). The True version of this drowns the victim completely, which takes 1d20 rounds of suffering. When he dies, his body will turn into water, and slowly drain away. Special Any priest can learn the level 8 spell ‘Naiad-Form’ in which the priest can become a Naiad (inheriting all their abilities, such a breathing underwater) for 1hour per level. There is also a level 25 version, ‘True-Naiad’ in which the priest can become a Naiad for as long as he/she chooses. Although there are no male naiads, male clerics can still assume the form of a male-version. Paladins have a similar spell, but theirs is known as Merman/Mermaid-form, and the paladin can become a mer-man/maid. Again, there is a level 25 version. Both Clerics and Paladins can learn the spells as normal spellists. Background Options *+5 Tredini (1) 5 *1d4 vials of Azuri Water (2) 15 *Naiad Friend 10 *Promotion 7 *Manenili (half-Naiad) (3) 30 *Holy Weapon 40 *Holy Armour (+30DB) 50 *Demon-Worshipper- attracted to the Vancu. Gain one evil cleric list 30 #''A tredini is a trident, with only two long points. It used to be used for fishing, but has since become a weapon. Treat as a +10 Spear.'' #''Azuri Water- Imbider is immune to most natural diseases for 1d10 months. If applied to wounds, if heals up to 5 hit points a round, and increases the fixing time of bones by x2. A pint of the water will add 1D4 years to a person’s life- many Lakelords are long-lived!'' #''Most Manenili get an automatic promotion to Lakeguard.'' Category:Lakelords Category:Religion Category:Clerics Category:Paladins Category:Pandarat Category:Nenila Category:Groups